FIFA issued a firm statement on Saturday from Paris, condemning what it described as “a concerted and ongoing effort by some to undermine” the world football governing body and its president, Gianni Infantino. The organization stated it would challenge inaccurate or misleading media reports “directly and vigorously” as controversy continues to surround a recently shelved private investment plan.
The pushback follows a week of intense scrutiny for Infantino, who is currently preparing for his re-election bid scheduled for next March. The president has faced calls for his resignation, compounded by allegations published in a British newspaper on Friday regarding his tenure as secretary general of UEFA, a role he held from 2009 to 2016.
According to The Telegraph, the Italian-Swiss lawyer allegedly used his influence to secure a promotion for a UEFA employee with whom he was in an intimate relationship. The newspaper added — without revealing its sources — that the same employee received a “a six-figure sum” upon her departure in addition to the payment of tuition fees for a business school amounting to around £45,000.
When contacted by AFP regarding these claims, UEFA acknowledged that “a departure payment was made to the individual in question” at that time, which was “coupled with the payment of fees for an MBA course at a local business school.”
In its Saturday statement released on social media, FIFA insisted that it “welcomes legitimate scrutiny.” However, the governing body cautioned that such scrutiny is “not a licence to distort facts, amplify unsubstantiated allegations or manufacture distractions designed to undermine progress.”
“Recent reporting has included unsubstantiated assertions and demonstrably false claims concerning FIFA and its President,” the official statement noted. The organization remains embroiled in a crisis that began late last month following the announcement of a controversial plan to open the World Cup to private investors, a proposal that was eventually abandoned.
Infantino faces significant opposition, particularly from UEFA, which on Thursday maintained its threat to boycott World Cup events, arguing that the mere withdrawal of the investment plan was insufficient to address their concerns.
FIFA declared on Saturday that it “will not support, facilitate or tolerate any process concerning the election of the FIFA President that is inconsistent with FIFA’s Statutes, democratic procedures and established governance framework.”
The statement concluded with a warning to political opponents: “Those who do not have the support of FIFA’s Member Associations should not seek to achieve through allegation, insinuation or misinformation what they cannot achieve through FIFA’s established democratic processes.”
The newspaper added — without revealing its sources — that the same employee received a “a six-figure sum” upon her departure in addition to the payment of tuition fees for a business school amounting to around £45,000
Source: Gulf News
